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(Rock County, WI) The County's economy continued to demonstrate growth, as reported by today's release of the Q1 2015 Rock Ready Index. Highlights from the Q1 report include the following:

Unemployment Rates, as measured by annual averages, continued to decline. To date, these figures represent the lowest annual rates since the Great Recession. Meanwhile, job postings – which exceeded 20,000 for eight out the last 13 quarters – remained solid.

Average sale prices and the number of residential sales throughout Rock County continued to move upward, as Q1 set a new record. Compared to the same time period in 2014, price points were up by 8.4% and transaction activities were 26% higher.

Sales Tax Collections for the County continued to surge, as Q1 2015 set a new record at $2.75 Million. Compared to the same time periods in 2014 and 2013, these collections were 2% and 9% higher, respectively.

Energy consumption, as measured by the number of electric meters and total kWh usage, remained strong. The Q1 2015 number of meters on the grid established a new record and business development activities, across various segments of the economy, continue to drive these energy trends upward.

The Rock Ready Index (RRI) is a quarterly economic development dashboard compiled and distributed by the Rock County Development Alliance. The RRI covers four topical areas: Workforce (Job Postings and Unemployment Rates), Real Estate (Residential, Commercial or Industrial) Trends, Sales (Tax Collection) Activities and Energy Consumption (Meters & Usage). Each Index also includes a Project Profile section, which highlights project specific news during a given quarter.